The California Angels desperately needed that one hitter in the middle of their 2009 line-up that knows how to take pitches. The Angeles second half season acquisition of Mark Teixeira in 2008 actually seemed to help the hitters around him adjust to the concept of taking more pitches and being just a bit more selective.
Vladimir Guerrero appeared to benefit greatly from having Teixeira in the line-up last year. Bobby Abreu will probably hit behind Kendry Morales and in front of Vlad, and that is probably the perfect table setting for the Angels. Perhaps the only criticism I have for the Angels is not making a play for an additional year for Abreu beyond the 2009 season.
If Abreu proves a solid addition for the Angels in 2009, the Angels will be stuck a year from now with perhaps nobody who can do what Abreu does when it comes to on base percentage and who can play the outfield. I would have offered Abreu a second year at 8 million with a 1.5 million buyout.
Either way, the Angels are starting to get up in age and they appear to be log jammed in the outfield with over 30 year old players and little room for younger players to get playing time. At least the Angels have been able to use the DH to "rest" their veteran outfielders, a strategy that helped sustain them last year through a myriad of outfield injuries.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
World Baseball Classic Alternative Ideas and Suggestions.
Pitching in the World Baseball Classic seems to hurt a Major League Baseball players upcoming season. Stats have been revealed that shows 11 of the 12 pitchers who pitched in the WBC, would then have their MLB ERA increase over their prior year's MBL ERA.
WBC games are too early in the year and players are just not ready to play, yet if they play in the WBC, they are supposed to play one hundred percent.
I don't know if this would be an acceptable compromise, but what if the WBC were pushed back to the first week in April, and all of Major League baseball participated, and the games counted! The downside is ballplayers would not be playing for their own hometeam, but, in every other way, there is plenty of upside.
Perhaps when the final four teams are determined, Ballplayers could play the final weekend for their own country, provided their MLB team is still not in it.
WBC in April means ballplayers don't have to do double duty by playing in the WBC and then playing catch up with their own MLB team. Ballplayers aren't playing in the field or throwing any extra amount than any other year. MLB is paying the utmost respect to the rest of the world by saying the games count towards major league baseball standings.
The alignment of teams could be done so that the finals would feature one WBC team and one MLB team. There are a few scheduling nightmares to consider. How far a major league baseball team will last before exiting the WBC, and therefore, how do the teams that exit early begin play in MLB when the other teams are still playing in the WBC?
Another issue is does Major League Baseball really want all of its teams going all over the world, at the same time?
If that idea is too logistically hard to do, how about the champion and runner-up of the WBC doing an american tour and each MLB team plays them once in the month of April, and the games count towards the standings?
Well, I don't think anything has been resolved with this article. Just some ideas that might lead to other ideas.
WBC games are too early in the year and players are just not ready to play, yet if they play in the WBC, they are supposed to play one hundred percent.
I don't know if this would be an acceptable compromise, but what if the WBC were pushed back to the first week in April, and all of Major League baseball participated, and the games counted! The downside is ballplayers would not be playing for their own hometeam, but, in every other way, there is plenty of upside.
Perhaps when the final four teams are determined, Ballplayers could play the final weekend for their own country, provided their MLB team is still not in it.
WBC in April means ballplayers don't have to do double duty by playing in the WBC and then playing catch up with their own MLB team. Ballplayers aren't playing in the field or throwing any extra amount than any other year. MLB is paying the utmost respect to the rest of the world by saying the games count towards major league baseball standings.
The alignment of teams could be done so that the finals would feature one WBC team and one MLB team. There are a few scheduling nightmares to consider. How far a major league baseball team will last before exiting the WBC, and therefore, how do the teams that exit early begin play in MLB when the other teams are still playing in the WBC?
Another issue is does Major League Baseball really want all of its teams going all over the world, at the same time?
If that idea is too logistically hard to do, how about the champion and runner-up of the WBC doing an american tour and each MLB team plays them once in the month of April, and the games count towards the standings?
Well, I don't think anything has been resolved with this article. Just some ideas that might lead to other ideas.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Manny Ramirez to Japan?
Total speculation, but wouldn't Manny be an amazing fit in Japan?
I think the biggest reason against Manny going to Japan is that Manny probably wants to increase his MLB baseball stats to outrageous numbers. Manny could end up with 650-700 home runs and 2400-2500 RBI's, pretty heady numbers for sure. But would Manny go to Japan to spite MLB if a Japanese team would pay him 25 million a year?
Anybody want to ask Manny or Scott Boras?
I think the biggest reason against Manny going to Japan is that Manny probably wants to increase his MLB baseball stats to outrageous numbers. Manny could end up with 650-700 home runs and 2400-2500 RBI's, pretty heady numbers for sure. But would Manny go to Japan to spite MLB if a Japanese team would pay him 25 million a year?
Anybody want to ask Manny or Scott Boras?
Saturday, February 7, 2009
AROD was AROID when he was MVP in 2003.
When Alex Rodriguez won his first MVP title in 2003, he was using steroids. Roiding is a big deal because winning awards while roiding raises the bar for the highest paid contracts in the game, which in turn raises the overall contracts for all players, and makes it harder for the smaller market teams to compete.
I suppose one could argue that these roiding players add more excitement to the game because of the homers they generate, which raises fan attendance for all teams, and in theory provides more capital for each team to sign players. Still, what about the players that don't roid?
Maybe there should be alternating fan seating so fans can choose to support the roiders, or support the non-roiders.
Why not just have two sets of awards, one for the steroid users, and one for the non steroid users?
Why not just have two sets of records, onef or the steroid users, and one for the non steroid users?
Why not just have two leagues, one for the steroid users, and one for the non steroid users?
Why not just have two playoffs, one for the steroid users, and one for the non steroid users? Then have the winners of each league face off.
Maybe one day they will invent a bat that when held by the batter will detect any drug usage. Maybe the bat would wilt whenever it detects roid use. AROID swinging a wet noodle at the plate, that might clean up major league baseball roid use very quickly. And for pitchers, maybe the balls could have some kind of sensor as well, making the ball shrivel up when it detects roid use.
I suppose one could argue that these roiding players add more excitement to the game because of the homers they generate, which raises fan attendance for all teams, and in theory provides more capital for each team to sign players. Still, what about the players that don't roid?
Maybe there should be alternating fan seating so fans can choose to support the roiders, or support the non-roiders.
Why not just have two sets of awards, one for the steroid users, and one for the non steroid users?
Why not just have two sets of records, onef or the steroid users, and one for the non steroid users?
Why not just have two leagues, one for the steroid users, and one for the non steroid users?
Why not just have two playoffs, one for the steroid users, and one for the non steroid users? Then have the winners of each league face off.
Maybe one day they will invent a bat that when held by the batter will detect any drug usage. Maybe the bat would wilt whenever it detects roid use. AROID swinging a wet noodle at the plate, that might clean up major league baseball roid use very quickly. And for pitchers, maybe the balls could have some kind of sensor as well, making the ball shrivel up when it detects roid use.
Why Torre said more than he probably should have said about AROD and the Yankees.
Joe Torre always struck me as a players manager. Being a former player himself, Torre most likely earned the respect of his players by simply knowing the game. Torre also does not come off as a gossiper. So why did Torre gossip about AROD in his book?
The obvious first reason is, to sell books. But I think there is a second reason as well. Torre basically lost his job after two straight years of not making the A.L. Championship finals. Factor in the infamous 3-0 fall from ahead loss to the Red Sox a couple years earliera, and the ingredients were there for Torre to be removed by simply not giving him a "respectful" contract extension.
Where it gets ugly however is that AROD apparently commented about Torre after Torre's removal. I am speculating AROD speaking about Torre in a rather non complementary way just lit a fire under Torre. The one guy who has not done so well in the playoffs, AROD, is the LAST guy who should be talking about Torre's managerial skills. One could argue that if AROD had put up the same type of production in the playoffs that he regularly puts up during the season, Torre would still be manager of the Yankees.
If a manager is going to sell out a former player, doing it after that same former player has already sold out the manager is the one scenario where I can see it happening.
On the the other hand, Torre did burn his bridge back to New York should the yankees ever start flipping through managers the way they used to in the 80's and early 90's.
The obvious first reason is, to sell books. But I think there is a second reason as well. Torre basically lost his job after two straight years of not making the A.L. Championship finals. Factor in the infamous 3-0 fall from ahead loss to the Red Sox a couple years earliera, and the ingredients were there for Torre to be removed by simply not giving him a "respectful" contract extension.
Where it gets ugly however is that AROD apparently commented about Torre after Torre's removal. I am speculating AROD speaking about Torre in a rather non complementary way just lit a fire under Torre. The one guy who has not done so well in the playoffs, AROD, is the LAST guy who should be talking about Torre's managerial skills. One could argue that if AROD had put up the same type of production in the playoffs that he regularly puts up during the season, Torre would still be manager of the Yankees.
If a manager is going to sell out a former player, doing it after that same former player has already sold out the manager is the one scenario where I can see it happening.
On the the other hand, Torre did burn his bridge back to New York should the yankees ever start flipping through managers the way they used to in the 80's and early 90's.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
